Insulated wiring-tack



- INSU AAAAAAAAAAAAAA K.

APPLICATION TILED JAN 5 1 9 0 3.

N 0 M 0 D E L.

UNITED STATES Patented February 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

INSULATED WIRING-TACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,354, dated February 2, 1904.

Application filed January 5, 1903. $eria1 No. 137,786. (No model.)

To all whom 111; may concern.-

Be it known that I, DONALD (1}. SMART, of Grand Rapids, \Vood county, Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulated W iring-Tacks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices used for interior and exterior wiring; and the object of the invention is to provide means whereby electric wires such as light, telegraph, telephone, and bell wires can be easily and quickly secured to a plastered wall or wood surface.

A further object is to provide securing means which will not mar or damage the plaster or wood and will hold the wires much more securely than the fastening devices, such as staples, usually employed for this purpose.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in a tack having a single shank and a curved saddleshaped head.

Further, the invention consists in a tack having an auxiliary head of insulating material interposed between the head proper and the point of the shank.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the acconmanying d rawings,formin g part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a wall-joist with a wire running thereon and secured by an insulated tack embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the tack.

In the drawings, 2 represents a wall-joist, upon which I have shown my invention securing wires 3 and 4, both considerably enlarged for convenience of illustration; but itv will be understood that the tack is adapted for use on a plastered wall and a wood casing or a molding or wherever it is desired to run an electric wire.

5 represents the head of the tack, elongated in form and having downwardly-turned ends 6, causing the head to assume substantially the form of a saddle to overlap and secure the wires.

7 is a shank centrally arranged on the head and of any suitable diameter and length, according to the size of the wire and the place where the tack is to be used. In manufacturing, the shank may be cut or made round, as preferred.

In the drawings I have shown the shank tapered from the head toward the opposite end to facilitate driving the same into plaster or a wood surface. Directly beneath the head 5 on the shank I provide an auxiliary head or bushing 8, of insulating material, preferably liber, having upwardly-eurved or arched ends 9, that overhang the wires and insulate them from the head and shank of the tack, preventing any possibility of leaks or short circuits in case the insulation on the wires becomes broken or worn. The metallic head overlapping the auxiliary head or bushing will hold. it in place when the tack is driven down upon the wires. I prefer to provide a socket in the insulating-head, wherein the end of the shank is thrust until the insulating-hezul is close to the head proper of the tack, where it will be braced and supported and protected from injury when in use.

This form of fastening device is adapted particularly for use with a twisted wire, as the single shank can be thrustin between the strands, while the ends of the heads will overlap the wires and hold them lirlnly in place, as shown in Fig. 1. The tack can also be used to great advantage with wires that are not twisted together, as it makes but a single hole, and consequently does not break up the plastering or mar a finished surface as much. as a staple having two points and shanks would. .l urthermore, the auxiliary head or bushing being secured on the shank will not be pressed out of position or loosened when the tack is driven into a wood surface, which frequently happens with a staple through the spreading of its legs.

The shank and the head will of course be made of different size. according to the character of the wires and the surface into which it is desired to drive the tack, and hence I do not wish to be confined to the particular description of the fastening device shown herein, the essential feature being the single shank,

2. A wiring-tack having asingle shank and an elongated head provided with downwardlycurved ends, and an elongated insulated head having a socket to recelve sa1d shank and downwardly-curved ends, the mid d le or socket portion of said insulating-hezul being below the depending ends of said shank-head.

3. A wiring-tack, comprising a tapered shank having a flat elongated head provided with downwardly-turned ends, an auxiliary head composed of a flat elongated strip of i nsulating material having a centrally-arrangml socket wherein said shank is wedged, the ends of said strip being downwardly turned and having their upper surfaces in contact with the under surface of said shank-head.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of December, 1902.

DONALD G. SMA RT.

In presence of CHAS. S. lVI-Irr'rLEsnY, M. G. SMART. 

